Permtitation-lock



J. G. AMBROSE.

PERMUTAUON LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEE, I5. 1910.

Pawntd June 3, 1919."

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witnesses Attorneys,-

1. GLAMBROSE.

PERMUTATIGN LOCK.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 15. 19H].

Patented J une 3 11 GM. 1 IT F. F. H s m S T r: E m 2 Attorneys Witnesses PAENT OFFTQE.

JENNTNGS GRANT AMBROSE, 0F LOMA PORTAL, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 THOMAS C. HAMMOND AND ONE-THIRD PORTAL, CALIFORNIA.

T0 HENRY w. AMBROSE, Born on LOMA PERMUTATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 3, 1919.

Application filed February 15, 1918. Serial No. 217,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JENNINGS GRANT AM- nnosn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Loma Portal, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and useful Permu tatioirLook, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to permutation locks, and aims to provide a novel and improved lock of that character adapted especially for use upon automobiles, but capable of use for various other purposes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lock wherein the operating member is held by the tumbler mechanism and can only be moved to operating position when the tumbler mechanism is set to a predetermined position by said operating member, the operating member then being movable out of engagement with the tumbler mechanism and into engagement with other means to operate the latter. A still further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for enabling the tumbler mechanism to beset by the aid of clicks or audible means of that character.

The invention has for a still further object, the provision of a permutation lock inclosed within a case, the tumbler mechanism of which holds the cover of the case in closed position, so that the cover can only be removed when thetumbler mechanism is brought to a predetermined position, requiring a knowledge of the combination.

The invention also aims to provide a permutation lock of the nature indicated embodying a novel assemblage of the component elements, and'improved generally in its construction and details, to enhance the utility and efiiciency thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, with- .panying drawings wherein:

Figure it is a p View of the lock.- with the cover removed, portions being 7 broken away.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views on the respective section lines 2-2, 33 and 44 of Fig. 1.

The operating parts are inclosed within a suitable case 1 having the cover 2, and a partition 3 therein. A tumbler shaft or spindle 4 is seated in slots 5 in one wall of the case 1 and partition 3, and an operating shaft or spindle 6 is seated in a similar slot 5 in the opposite wall of the case. The cover 2 has extensions 7 fitting within the slots 5 of the side walls to hold the shafts seated therein. The shaft 6 is tubular and receives the reduced terminal 8 of the shaft 4, and a suitable operating knob or handle 9 is secured to the protruding end of the shaft 6, for rotating and sliding said operating shaft. The

shafts 4 and 6 are provided with interenhas secured thereon a pinion 12, said pinion and sleeve 11 being fastened on the shaft 6 by means of a set screw13 or otherwise to turn and slide therewith. I

The operating member or knob 9 is used for sliding a bar l4 mounted for sliding movement within the case, said bar having rack teeth 15' with which the pinion 12 meshes whenthe knob 9 is pulled outwardly.

This enables the bar 14 to be slid in either direction by rotating the knob 9, but when said knob is moved inwardly, the pinion 12 is removed from the" teeth 15, so that the bar 14 cannot be moved unless the knob can be pulled outwardly. A set of plunge'rs 16 is mounted slidably in the case, preferably in one side wall of the case and in the partition 3, the plungers being provided with annular groovesl'? adapted to be engaged by lugs 18 on the bar 14, said plungers having knobs 19 at their outer protruding ends. These plungers 16 can be made to operate electric switches, valves, or other" eontrollin members of an automobile or other machine, the

' bar 14.when slid in one direction engaging the lugs 18 with the plungers 16, to prevent said plungers from being moved unless the bar 14 is moved to releasing position. To move the bar 14 and release the plungers 16 for movement, the knob 9 must be pulled outwardly to bring the pinion 12 into mesh with the rack teeth 15, and the tumbler mechanism is provided for controlling such movement of the operating member of knob 9, to prevent such movement excepting by a predetermined manipulation thereof.

A gear 20 is secured upon the tumbler shaft 4 and is connected by a train of gears 21 with a spindle or shaft-carrying a pointer 23 on the outside of the case, to cooperate with a dial, whereby the tumbler mechanism can be set conveniently, an audible device for this purpose being provided in order that the mechanism can be set in the darkness when the pointer is not visible, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Coming to the tumbler mechanism, the same embodies disk-shaped tumblers 24, 25, 26 and 27 mounted for rotation upon the tumbler shaft 4 and spaced apart by spacing collars 29 mounted on said shaft. Each tumbler has an internal notch 28. and each collar 29 is similarly provided with a notch 30. The shaft 4 has an internal longitudinal groove 31 in which a bar 32 is slidable, said bar having outstanding lugs 33 movable within the notches 30 of the spacing collars 29, and movable into the notches 28 when the tumblers are set in a predetermined position.

The bar 32 controls the outward movement of the knob 9, one end of said bar having an outstanding eye 34 attached by a screw 35 or other means to a collar 36 rotatable upon the sleeve 11 between the pinion 12 and a flange 37 on the sleeve. This collar 36 does not rotate with the pinion 12 and .the sleeve 11, the collar and bar 32 being slidable longitudinally with the sleeve 11, shaft 6 and knob 9.

Bowed leaf springs 38 or similar means are carried by the case and bear against the edges of the tumblers, tending to hold them against rotation, and the tumblers are set by means of the usual pins or lugs 39 and 40 at the opposite sides thereof, the pins 39 of the tumblers 27 26 and 25 extending between the pins 40 of the respective tumblers 26, 25 and 24. Each tumbler has a plurality of threaded apertures 41 for. the. reception of the pins. A stop 41 is carried by the case to engage the pin 39 of the tumbler 24. A collar is secured upon the shaft 4 by means of a set screw 43 or: otherwise adjacent to the tumbler 27, and has a lug 44 to contact with the pins 40 of the tumbler 27 to turn the tumbler 27. The tumbler. 26 is turned by the tumbler 27, the tumbler 25 by the tumbler, 26, and the tumbler 24 by the tumbler 25, any suitable number of tumblers being In order to provide clicks for setting the tumbler mechanism by sound, a ratchet wheel 45 is mounted loosely upon the shaft 4 between the collar 42 and a spacing collar 48 hearing against the partition 5, and a spring-pressed pawl 46 is carried by the lug 44 and engages the ratchet wheel. A second pawl 47 is carried by the partition 3 of the case, and is spring-pressed to bear against the ratchet wheel. When the collar 42 is rotated in one direction with the shaft 6,

the pawl 46 will carry the ratchet wheel 45 with it. so that the teeth in moving past the pawl 47 will provide a series of clicks, whereas when the collar 42 is rotated in the opposite direction, the ratchet wheel 45 will be held by the pawl 47, so that the pawl 46 will be dragged around the ratchet wheel, to snap past the teeth thereof and provide the clicks. Clicks are thus produced when the shaft is rotated in either direction, and by keeping count of these clicks and turning the knob 9 properly, the tumblers can be set. Either the audible device or the visual one including the pointer 23 can be used for set ting the tumblers.

The knob 9 is moved rearwardly to bring the clutch teeth 10 into engagement, and to move the bar 32 rearwardly, the knob being rotated to turn the shaft 4, the lug'44 engaging one of the pins 40 of tumbler 27 to turn said tumbler, motion being imparted to the other tumblers. This will destroy the combination, bringing one or more of the notches 28 of the tumblers out of registration with the groove 31. so that the lugs 33 engage the tumblers. This prevents the out ward movement of the knob 9, preventing the pinion 12 from being moved into mesh with the rack teeth 15, and bar 14 cannot therefore be operated unless the tumblers are first set. To set the tumblers, the knob 9 is rotated in one direction until its movement is stopped by the contact of the, pin 39 of tumbler 24 with the stop 41. The knob 9 is then turned first in one direction a suitable number of steps, then in the other, and so on, and if this manipulation of the knob is carried out in the predetermined manner, according to the position of the pins of the tumblers, the tumblers will be so arranged that their notches 28 all register with the groove 31, thus permitting the lugs 33 to move into the notches 28, and permitting the knob 9 to be pulled outwardly. This will bring the pinion 12 into mesh with the rack teeth 15, so that the bar 14 can be slid to release the plungers 16. The lugs 33 remain, partially at least, within the notches 30 at all times.

The tumbler mechanism also serves to hold the cover 2 in place, preventing its removal unless the combination is known. The cover is provided at one end with a book 50 to engage under an interned flange 51 with which the case is provided, thereby holding said end of the cover in place. The other end of the cover has inwardly extending hooks 52 to normally engage under a slidable keeper plate 53 mounted within the case, thereby holding the other end of the cover against the case. The tumblers are provided with notches 54% in their peripheries or outer edges, which when the tumblers are set in a predetermined position, will receive the plate 53 so that said plate can be moved to release the hooks 52, thus permitting the corresponding end of the cover to be swung away from the case and the cover then slid out of engagement with the flange 51. The plate 53 has a stem 55 extending out of the case, and a spring 56 tends to move the plate 53 away from the tumblers and into engagement with the hooks 52. When the cover is applied, the hooks 52 in snapping into engagement with the keeper plate 53, will prevent the cover from being removed, z. 6. when the tumblers are disarranged.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

'1. A permutation lock embodying a rotatable tumbler shaft having a longitudinal groove, tumblers rotatable on said shaft and having cooperable portions to turn one from the other, one tumbler being turned by said shaft, a rotatable and slidable actuating member, said actuating member and shaft having clutch portions to engage each other when the actuating member is moved in one direction toward said shaft, and a member slidable in said groove and having a swivel connection with the actuating member, the

tumblers having notches to register with said groove and the slidable member having lugs to be stopped by the tumblers and to move into said notches to permitthe actuating member to be moved away from the shaft. 7

2. A permutation lock comprising a case; a plunger mounted to slide on the case; a rack bar disposed substantially at right angles to the plunger and mounted for right line sliding movement on the case, the bar and the plunger having interengaging parts which limit the sliding movement of the plunger; a shaft journaled in the case; tumblers rotatable on the shaft; means for rotating one tumbler from the shaft; means for rotating the other tumblers from the shaft actuated tumbler; a member slidable longitudinally of the shaft, said member and the tumblers having elements which coact to hold said member against sliding movement when the tumblers are set; an actuating element slidable longitudinally in the case and rotatable therein, the actuating element and the shaft having clutch parts which cooperate when the actuating element is slid; a pinion on the actuating element and movable therewith into and out of engagement with the rack bar; and means for connecting the slidably mounted member with the actuating element.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J. GRANT AMBROSE.

Witnesses:

C. B. HANSEN, J. MILLER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

